Inking device for duplicating machines



May 19,1925. r 1,538,399

' C. F. GREEN INKING DEVICE FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES FiledApril 14, 1922 1.9 5 Wm Mk8 Patented May 19, 1-925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES. FREDERICK GREEN, 0F ROMFORD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO A. B. DICK COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INKIN G DEVICE FOR DUPLICATIN G MACHINES.

Application filed April 14, 1922. Serial No, 552,503.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES FREDERICK GREEN, a sub ect of the K ng of Great Britam, residing at Roneo W'orks, IIornchurch' Road, Romford, Essex, England,have 1n-I vented certain new and useful Improvements in Inking Devices for Duplicating Machines,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in inking devices for use withrotary duplicating machines.

As a meansfor inking the cylinder of V aduplicating machine, it has been proposed to provide an ink trough fittedwith a roller which is normally spring pressed directly against the cylinder to efi'ect a transfer of ink thereto, but which may be moved manually against the action of the spring out of contact with the cylinder and latched insuch position. Another construction heretofore devised has included a roller fitted in a pivotally mounted ink trough and adaptedlto automatically contact with and transfer ink to a superimposed roller for a certain num ber of revolutions of the printing cylinder and then to automatically swing into an inoperative position clear of said superim-- posed roller, the latter roller contacting the;

cylinder to transfer ink thereto. a

These types of inking devices apply the ink over the completesurface of the printing cylinder, and when it is desired to apply ink to one particular point or points, where it is observed from the prints produced that insufficient ink has been applied, it has not" been possible to ink that point without inking the wholesurfac'e. It'is one of the aims of my invention to providecontrollable means whereby ink may be, distributed either to the entire cylinder or to only one or more particular points of the cylinder or not at all, as desired by the operator." A

further object of my invention is to provide an inkingdevice for rotary duplicating machines and one which is simple in construction and easy and efiicient in Opera tion. Other objects of my invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. v

In accordance withmy invention, I provide a pivotally mounted ink trough or container fitted with a feed roller, and associate niechanism therewith whereby the op erator may, by a simpl'emanual operation,

cause the ink trough to move either into one 'tributing roller.

position, in which the rollertherein will contact with and transfer ink to a super imposeddistributing roller for transfer to the cylindeiyror into another position such that no ink will be transferred to the dis- Thus the device may be manipulated to transfer ink tothe entire cylinder for any number of revolutions, or to apply ink to one or moreparticular places on the cylinder which have not received a sufficient supply, or to cease transferringink to the cylinder, as and when desired by the operator. i i

In order that a'clearer umle-rstanding of my invention may be had, attention is here by directed to the accompanying drawings wherein is illustrated one possible embodiment of my invention. Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a sectional view of an standards, and receives its motion in the usual manner through spur or like gearing,

* and has secured thereon theusual wax stencil. Secured to the inner side walls of the printing cylinder are cams 8 which rotate with the cylinder and act. at predetermined points upon rollers 4t secured to levers 5 supported at one end of arms 6 secured to the fixed central shaft 2. The saidlevers 5 carry'at one end a felt roller '7, the other ends of sa1d levers having'studs 8 secured thereon supporting the ends of springs '9,-

the other ends of the springs being secured on a barlO fitted-between the lower extremities of the arms 6. When the printing cylinder 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow to effect the printing the rollers 4i drop down on to the inner cam surfaces 3 as shown, so that the springs 9 act upon the ends of the levers 5, and impart a rocking action thereto, thereby swinging the felt roller '7 into contact with the printing cylinder. Situated beneath the felt roller 7 is the ink container 11, which is provided with books 12 for hooking over, or pivoting upon a bar 13 passing through the levers 5 supporting the feltroller 7, and secured to the arms 6. The nnrcontamer carries a roller lid 14 journalled in open brackets 15, and the ends of the inking roller are acted upon by springs 15, acting in the nature of scrapers to remove the ink from the edges of the inking roller 14 when the cylinder 1 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, but allowing a full supply of ink thereover when a reverse rotation is given to the cylinder.

The central fixed shaft 2 is bored out to receive a spindle 17, one end of which passes out through the cylinder wall 1 as well as one of the side standards, and has a handle or lever 18 secured thereto, the other end having an external screw thread formed thereon which en ages with an internally threaded plate or arm 15) projecting through a slot 20 formed in the fixed central shaft 2, upon which the forward edge of the ink container 11 rests.

The ink container is provided with suitable ink filling means, such comprising a slide 21 having a knob 22 for moving the slide in the slideway 23.

The operation of the means for inking is as follows On movement being imparted to the printing cylinder 1 in the direction of the arrow, the operator presses the handle or lever 18, thereby turning the spindle 1'7 and causing the plate or arm 19 secured thereon to raise the end of the ink container 11, so that the inking roller 14: contacts with the felt roller 7 which, as previously stated, has been lifted into contact with the cylinder 1 through the action of the cams 3 and springs 9. After two or three revolutions of the cylinder, the operator releases the pressureon the lever 18 whereby the spindle 17 turns, and with it the plate or arm 19, and the ink container drops down to the position, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, whereby the inking roller 1i is out of contact with the felt roller 7, but the latter always maintains contact with the printing cylinder at each revolution so as to distribute the ink thereto. Should it be seen from the prints produced that there is a certain point where uniform printing has not been acquired, the operator can bring the ink to bear upon that point by depressing the lever 18 and reciprocating the cylinder backwards and forwards.

It has been found that the pressure exerled upon the printing cylinder by the felt roller 7 tends to spread the ink to the sides of the printing surface and to counteract this tendency the scrapers 16 are placed at each end of the ink roller 14; so that the minimum quantity of ink is collected at the ends of the felt roller 7, which subsequently absorbs the ink at its edges through contact with the printing cylinder, and by so doing counteracts uneven printing.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a rotary printing cylinder,

of an ink container within the cylinder, fixed means pivotally supporting one end of said container at a place removed from the axis of said cylinder, and movable means including a member in engagement with said container at its other end, whereby said container may be pivoted on its fixed pivot toward and from the su ace of said cylinder, substantially as described.

0 T a rotary duplicating machine, the

lll combination with a rotor t printing cyl inder, of 1 trainer within the cylinder, fixed means nirotally su iporting one o: l of said C( r at a place removed from the axis of r cylinder, and means, including a member manually movable from the outside of said cylinder, supporting said container at its ot end, whereby said container may be pivoted on its fixed pivot toward and from the surface of said cylinder, substantially as described.

8. In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a fixed shaft, a printing cylinder lk'lfdi ttbly supported on said shaft, a fixed rod supported on said shaft, and an ink container pivotaly supported at one end on said rod, of movable means including a member in engagement with the container at its other end, whereby said container may be pivoted on said shaft toward and from the surface of the cylinder, substantially as described.

In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a fixed shaft, a printing cylinder rotatably supported on said shaft, a fixed rod supported on said shaft, and an ink container pivota ly supported at one end on said rod, of movable means, comprising a member movably supported on said shaft and engaging the other end of said container, for supporting the container at its other end, whereby said container may be pivoted on said shaft toward and from the surface of the cylinder, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a fixed shaft, a'printing cylinder rotatably supported on said shaft, a fixed rodsupported on said shaft, and an ink container pivotally supported at one end on said rod, of movable means, comprising a member movably supported on said shaft and engaging the other end of said container, ror supporting the container at its other end, and means, manually movable from the outside said cylinder, for moving said member, whereby said container may be pivoted on said shaft toward and from the surface of the cylinder, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a printing cylinder and a distributin roller therefor, of a fixed shaft. an ink container pivotally mounted upon a bar carried by an arm secured to said shaft,

inn

lli l an inking roller carried by said ink container, and hand operated means forraising' the ink container so that said inking roller contacts with and is rotatedby said distributing roller, said means comprising a spindle movable in said shaft, a lever adapted to actuate said spindle and an arm movable with said spindle adapted to support the forwardend of said container.

7. In a rotary duplicating machine, the combination with a printing cylinder anda distributing roller therefor, of a fixed shaft, a pivotally mounted ink container, an inking roller carried by said ink container, a

spindle movable Within said fixed shaft, said spindle extending exteriorly of said machine and having a handle thereon, the interior portion of said spindle having an arm projecting transversely'through a slot in said fixed shaft, said arm supporting the forward end of said ink container, whereby movement of said handle in one direction moves said ink container to bring said inking roller into contact with said distributing roller to transfer ink thereto, and whereby movement of said handle in another direction is accompanied by movement of said inking roller into position out of contact with said distributing roller.

Thisspecification signed this 30'day of March, 1922.

CHARLES FREDERICK GREEN. 

